World
by NCISBALTOFAN
Summary: (ONESHOT, Set after the series ends or somewhere before it) After everything is all said and done Castiel is called by his Father for reasons unknown and it does not go as expected. God asks him one simple question: "If I were to start over, what kind of world do you want Castiel?"


ONESHOT

Castiel hadn't walked the hallowed halls of his Father's palace in Heaven since he'd been created. It was unspoken territory ever since Lucifer's fall and no one dared disturb him, but Castiel had been called here. Castiel had been called by Father himself supposedly and as a result Castiel's palms were coated in a nervous sweat.

He took the steps one by one up to the door of his Father's dwelling. He'd never ventured beyond the Seventh Realm of Heaven, the Hall of Judgment, as many other lucky angels had before him, but he walked the path as if he always had. Even if they'd never been there before, angels knew the way. Castiel strode forward as the doors closed behind him automatically. He looked over his shoulder a few times then proceeded forward. There was an empty echo that resonated through the room and Castiel felt small, like a mouse caught by the eyes of a hungry alley cat, but not to be eaten. The ceilings were cathedral and covered with stained glass depicting events long since passed. Tall wooden bookshelves filled from top to bottom with every imaginable piece of literature lined the gold painted walls. There was a long red rug leading to a rich marble staircase and on either side of the rug were statues. They were statues of Heaven's greatest Warriors and heroes. Castiel saw the chalk white sculpted faces of his siblings: Lucifer, Michael, Gabriel, Ezra, and many others who had led charges and won numerous wars of Heaven. There was only one empty stand, yet to be filled and it was at the top of the stairs. Castiel's feet took him up to it and he touched the words etched into the front of the staircase:

_Heaven's Greatest Hero_

"Seems kinda bare doesn't it," a voice rang up from behind the trench coated angel and he jumped, spinning around to meet a surprisingly familiar face. "I've yet to fill it because none of my children so far have yet to fill those shoes."

"So it was you all along, all those years ago," Castiel spoke. "Father."

The man Sam and Dean Winchester, Castiel's charge, had come to know as Chuck Shurley stood before Castiel with a grin on his face.

"Yes it was me." Chuck replied.

"Why?" Castiel asked, it was all he could think to ask, it was all he'd ever wanted to ask and he was choking on his words already.

"I needed to test the competence of my children in my absence," Chuck explained, walking up the steps towards his Son. "Most of which fared pretty well. There are those select few though."

"Forgive me for my words of disrespect Father," Castiel said rather sternly. "But you could have called."

"It's funny," Chuck let out a small laugh. "Your brother Gabriel said the same exact thing."

Castiel paused a moment, thinking about Gabriel. How the archangel had come back seemingly from the dead and how he was still uncertain whether he truly was alive or not. He considered asking his Father, but then as Dean had once put it he decided to "let sleeping dogs lay".

"Gabriel," Chuck said in thought. "He always was the comedian of the family."

"Why have you called me here?" Castiel asked, bluntness running rapid through his tone. He was sick of pretending he still respected an absent man, the almighty absent man at that.

"Good question," Chuck still held that smug smile on his face as he motioned for Castiel to follow him into the room behind them. "Come and I'll show you."

Castiel followed, the shadow of the statue stand ever looming behind him.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

The room he was led to was mostly bare golden walls except for a few tapestries from gracious humans he'd graced with his presence on earth over the centuries, but in the center of the room was a table with a hole cut through the center of it and in the hole was a globe. Floating over the globe in random places on Earth were thunderstorms, tornadoes, earthquakes, and one tsunami that was headed towards a small, thankfully uninhabited island.

"I'm thinking of starting over," Chuck said, walking slowly around the globe, his fingers tracing the wood. "I have before. You recall the flooding of the earth and Noah's famous ark right Castiel?"

Earth looked sad. Castiel saw a picture hanging proudly on the wall, a picture of Chuck next to the globe when he'd first created Earth. The water was pure greenish-blue and the continents the right mixture of brown dirt and green grass. Everything was what it was supposed to be, like it was always meant to be. Now the globe before him looked grayish green and the water was sickly and tainted. His Father had mentioned starting over after all.

"You're not suggesting," Castiel paused. "Wiping them all out."

"Why not," Chuck asked. "Better yet Castiel, we'll do it together. I'll wipe the slate clean. You decide the new Earth."

"But Father…" Castiel swallowed. Chuck paused a moment before looming over the globe.

"I've been gone for many years on Earth my Son," Chuck explained. "To blend in with and study my creation. To be simply ordinary for awhile and every time I looked around I saw everything I'd worked so hard to prevent. Pollution, unwarranted death, destruction, hate, wars over me and other deities, wars over nothing at all. All of which have ravaged my perfect world. So I ask you Castiel, if I were to start over at the start like I have before, create a whole new masterpiece, what kind of world do you want?"

Castiel had never been asked such a question before in all his years of existence. Castiel had been God once before for a short time and that hadn't gone over well. He'd honestly never thought of another Earth, a better Earth. He'd only known the one there was now.

"Imagine it Castiel," Chuck said, trying to pique his Son's interest, he pulled Castiel close to the globe. "Oceans without salt and purple water, no people, and loads of people not even called people, no storms, nothing you know. Think anything Castiel. No instructions but two."

Castiel stared at the globe, the world in its glorious imperfection and thoughts raced through his head.

"Two rules," Chuck leaned in. "Make history and be careful what you wish for."

Castiel's thoughts turned to Dean and Sam and all the other humans on Earth. To Dean and how he'd said one word repeated: try. Humans, he'd said; were not perfect, but most of the tried to do better. Castiel knew this to be true first hand; he'd been human for a short amount of time. His hands had dabbled in the concept of trying. His hands shook and he finally turned to face his Father.

"No," he said, gaining Chuck's full attention. "I wouldn't change it for anything."

"Why is that my Son?" Chuck asked, truly interested.

"Earth may not be perfect," Castiel replied, maintaining eye contact. "Even though it was at one time, but nothing was ever meant to stay perfect Father. Not even us, not the angels, not Heaven, not Earth. If you started over Father we would always end up, no matter what color oceans I chose or who or what inhabited Earth. We can't, I can't, destroy the imperfect perfection that is Earth. The people, they try. A lot of them do, but if we get rid of them they can't keep trying. I can't Father. The world is perfect to me the way it is even though it's broken and who am I to destroy it?"

"I see," Chuck took it all in and then smiled before leading Castiel away and back down the stairway, past the empty statue stand. "Thank you my Son this was all I needed of you."

Castiel, confused, strode towards the front doors and looked back only once at the top of the stairs where Chuck stood. Chuck ushered him out with a flick of his wrist and Castiel left.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

"Castiel," he was greeted by Ezra, ex-scribe of Heaven, when he returned to the lower Realms of Heaven. "What an honor it must have been to tread in Father's palace. It's been such a long time since I've been there myself."

"It was confusing more than anything Ezra," Castiel admitted. "He asked me strange, strange questions."

"About the world," Ezra spoke without hesitation or shock. "And what it would be like if he started over?"

"Yes…how…?" Castiel was shocked.

"It's something he does," Ezra explained. "Sort of Father's last test. A test of character and such."

"Either way," Castiel chuckled. "I suppose I passed."

"Who knows," Ezra laughed too. "Father works in mysterious ways."

-8-8-8-8-8-8-

In his palace above the Seventh Realm, Chuck smiled and walked over to the empty statue stand. His fingers traced the lettering and he pondered for a moment. Could he really? Yes. But what if someone else filled the title? So what! He'd done so much for Heaven already and he'd proven himself too many times beyond recognition. Chuck paused a moment once more, thinking it all over before closing his eyes and filling the space before him with a beautiful bronze statue unlike the others. This one shone brightly, like Heaven's light was a part of it.

Chuck looked upon his greatest statute to grace his halls yet.

"You passed the test my Son," he spoke to the statue, as if he was half expecting it to talk back. "You've shown that you know truly what Earth and my creation is worth. You've proved you can handle the storm without me around and strive on even in the face of death. You truly are Heaven's Greatest Hero."

With that Chuck walked away, from a shining bronze statue.

A shining bronze statue of Castiel.

**Read and Reviews are always appreciated!**

**A/N: I was inspired majorly by the song World by Five for Fighting and I've been wanting to write this ONESHOT for awhile so I hope you all enjoyed. OH and FYI I've had a character named Ezra for awhile now, before last night's episode of Supernatural and he looks NOTHING like the Ezra from last night so try to keep his image out of your head. My Ezra is a teenage vessel with brown hair, brown eyes, and golden framed glasses so yeah. I promise i'll get back to my regular chapter stories soon!**

**Either way hope you all enjoyed this!**


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